AIM Herbal Release

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The immune system is the army that protects us from invaders. It extends throughout the body and protects us from bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. When the immune system is healthy, we are healthy. An important but often unconsidered part of the immune system is the lymphatic system. AIM Herbal Release® helps support this vital part of the immune system.

The lymphatic system

The lymphatic system consists of the lymphoid organs, which are spread throughout the body. These are the bone marrow, thymus, lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, and spleen, as well as the adenoids and tonsils. The lymphatic system and lymphoid organs get their name because they are involved with the growth, development, and deployment of lymphocytes, white blood cells that are key to the immune system.

The lymphatic system plays the central role in building immune response. It enables the body to rid itself of bacteria and viruses, filters foreign substances and cell debris from the blood, and produces lymphocytes. It removes toxins that originated in the environment and toxic waste products that our cells produce as part of their metabolism. If these toxins are not removed, they can build up in the blood and eventually poison us.

Bone marrow

Bone marrow is the soft tissue in the center of all the bones in the body. It produces both red and white blood cells. The white blood cells created in the bone marrow can be further divided into two types: lymphocytes and phagocytes. These two types of white blood cells are the immune system’s front-line fighters. The bone marrow also houses the lymphocytes known as B cells until they reach maturity. B cells fight disease by secreting antibodies into the body fluid. These antibodies fight bacteria and viruses.

Thymus

The thymus is located near the top of the lungs and behind the breastbone. It is a key to immune response. Lymphocytes known as T cells get their name from the thymus because after the bone marrow produces them, they are passed on to the thymus, which fosters their development.
T cells both regulate immune response and attack infected or malignant body cells. The thymus also acts as the central clearing house of immune response, passing lymphocytes into the lymphatic system, which transports them to where they are needed.
Lymphatic vessels

The lymphatic vessels are the arteries that carry white blood cells throughout the body. White cells also can travel in the blood, but the lymphatic vessels are better equipped to transport the waste materials that the white blood cells pick up. Like small creeks that empty into larger and larger rivers, the lymphatic vessels feed into larger and larger channels. At the base of the neck they merge and their contents are discharged into the bloodstream, which carries the waste to the kidneys for processing and removal from the body.

Lymph nodes and spleen

Lymph nodes are small, bean-shaped stopping points that are spread throughout the body. They are “wait stations” for white blood cells to congregate until they are needed to fight an invading pathogen. Clumps of lymphoid tissue are found in most parts of the body, especially in the linings of the digestive tract and the airways and lungs—all the places where pathogens can enter the body. These lymphatic tissues include the tonsils, adenoids, and appendix. The spleen also contains special compartments where white blood cells gather and work.

The lymphatic system is composed of literally hundreds of miles of lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes. It is key to the elimination of waste products generated throughout the body. Dead cells, one of the major components of this waste, collect in the lymph nodes, where they are passed on to the bloodstream, which in turn delivers them to the lungs, kidneys, colon, and skin for elimination from the body. Together, all of the organs that make up the lymphatic system work to protect us from disease and illness.

Today, with the explosion in popularity of alternative medicine, many of us are aware of how herbs may be used for specific purposes. We all know that aloe vera is used for skin care, that soy and black cohosh support menopause, and that ginkgo biloba may improve memory.

The 11 herbs in AIM Herbal Release® also work together for a specific purpose, although it is not a purpose well-known to most. They work together to promote lymphatic health.

The herbs in AIM Herbal Release®

Each herb in AIM Herbal Release® was carefully selected for its ability to work with the lymphatic system to produce a positive cell environment. In doing so, AIM Herbal Release® provides benefits not currently available in any other herbal formulation.

Barberry root bark
Affects: liver, spleen, digestive tract, blood
Barberry may help with an enlarged spleen. One constituent, berberine, may have antibiotic properties. According to Michael Castleman in The Healing Herbs, barberry may also stimulate the immune system and may activate macrophages. Other sources state that it helps bile flow.
Boldo leaves
Affects: liver, stomach
Boldo is an evergreen shrub that grows in the Andes Mountains. It is said to help with gallbladder problems. One constituent, ascaridole, is said to function as a vermifuge, which expels intestinal worms.
Buckthorn bark
Affects: liver, gallbladder, intestines, blood
Buckthorn is a depurative, which promotes the excretion and removal of waste material. It is also a mild laxative, due to its anthraquinone content, and is said to aid bile production.
Burdock root
Affects: blood, kidneys, liver
Burdock root has a long history as a detoxifier. In Herbal Medications, A.W. and L.R. Priest note that burdock can be used “… to remove accumulated waste products.” It is also known to help with lymphatic congestion.
Cascara sagrada
Affects: colon, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas
Cascara sagrada, like buckthorn root, contains anthraquinone and is thus a mild laxative. It is also a general tonic that promotes well-being in all body systems.
Chickweed
Affects: blood, liver, kidneys, bladder
Chickweed boasts many folk remedies, and is said to be good for the blood and joints.
Dandelion root
Affects: liver, kidneys, gallbladder, stomach, pancreas, intestines, blood
Dandelion has a distinguished history as a detoxifier. Joseph Pizzorno and Michael Murray, in A Textbook of Natural Medicine, call it a fine remedy for a toxic liver. The Ayurvedic physician Vasant Lad and David Frawley, in The Yoga of Herbs, say dandelion is also good for the lymph glands, and Santillo, in Natural Healing with Herbs, classifies it as a lymphatic, which cleanses the lymphatic system.
Echinacea
Affects: blood, lymph, kidneys
Echinacea was used by Native Americans, and today, it is recognized as an aid to the immune system Echinacea contains echinacoside, a natural antibiotic, which is probably responsible for antibiotic properties. Studies in Europe have shown that echinacea increases production of T cells. Santillo classifies it as a lymphatic, which cleanses the lymphatic system.
Licorice root
Affects: lungs, stomach, intestines, spleen, liver
Licorice is well-known as a powerful herb. According to a report in Microbiology and Immunology, licorice may stimulate cell production of interferon. Asian studies and studies published in the Plant Medica (1984: 50) have shown it to be helpful for the liver.
Parsley
Affects: kidneys, bladder, stomach, liver, gallbladder
From the 1850s to 1926, parsley was recognized by the United States Pharmacopoeia as a laxative and a diuretic. Today, it is more commonly used as a breath freshener.
Sarsaparilla
Affects: blood, skin, circulation, intestines
Sarsaparilla, according to Pizzorno and Murray in A Textbook of Natural Medicine, has been used in Europe since the sixteenth century as a blood purifier. Sarsaparilla is also said to bind to endotoxins and escort them out of the body. If endotoxins remain in the body they can contribute to a number of health related problems.